Editing Bandwagon effect (section)

===In politics===
{{Globalize|section|date=August 2013}}

The bandwagon effect can take place in [[voting]]:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nadeau |first1=Richard |first2=Edouard |last2=Cloutier |first3=J.-H. |last3=Guay |title=New Evidence About the Existence of a Bandwagon Effect in the Opinion Formation Process |journal=International Political Science Review |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=203–213 |year=1993 |doi=10.1177/019251219301400204 |s2cid=154688571 }}</ref> it occurs on an individual scale where a voters opinion on vote preference can be altered due to the rising popularity of a candidate<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Barnfield|first=Matthew|date=2020-11-01|title=Think Twice before Jumping on the Bandwagon: Clarifying Concepts in Research on the Bandwagon Effect|url=https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929919870691|journal=Political Studies Review|language=en|volume=18|issue=4|pages=553–574|doi=10.1177/1478929919870691|s2cid=203053176|issn=1478-9299}}</ref> or a policy position.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Farjam|first=Mike|date=2020-06-14|title=The Bandwagon Effect in an Online Voting Experiment With Real Political Organizations|journal=International Journal of Public Opinion Research|language=en|volume=33|issue=2|pages=412–421|doi=10.1093/ijpor/edaa008|doi-access=free}}</ref> The aim for the change in preference is for the voter to end up picking the "winner's side" in the end.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Henshel|first1=Richard L.|last2=Johnston|first2=William|date=1987|title=The Emergence of Bandwagon Effects: A Theory|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4120670|journal=The Sociological Quarterly|volume=28|issue=4|pages=493–511|doi=10.1111/j.1533-8525.1987.tb00308.x|jstor=4120670|issn=0038-0253}}</ref> Voters are more so persuaded to do so in elections that are non-private or when the vote is highly publicised.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zech|first=Charles E.|date=1975|title=Leibenstein's Bandwagon Effect as Applied to Voting|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30022807|journal=Public Choice|volume=21|pages=117–122|doi=10.1007/BF01705954|jstor=30022807|s2cid=154398418|issn=0048-5829}}</ref>

The bandwagon effect has been applied to situations involving [[majority opinion]], such as political outcomes, where people alter their opinions to the majority view.{{sfn|McAllister| Studlar|1991}} Such a shift in opinion can occur because individuals {{Clarify | text = draw inferences | date = August 2022 | reason = Draw inferences about what?  The reference doesn't say either; this is a verbatim sentence.}} from the decisions of others, as in an [[informational cascade]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://dumaguetemetropost.com/beware-of-the-bandwagon-effect-other-cognitive-biases-p7272-99.htm | title = Beware of the bandwagon effect, other cognitive biases | website = dumaguetemetropost.com | access-date = 2017-12-08 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20210224124642/http://dumaguetemetropost.com/beware-of-the-bandwagon-effect-other-cognitive-biases-p7272-99.htm | archivedate = 2021-02-24 | url-status = dead}}</ref>

Perceptions of popular support may affect the choice of activists about which parties or candidates to support by donations or voluntary work in campaigns. They may strategically funnel these resources to contenders perceived as well supported and thus electorally viable, thereby enabling them to run more powerful, and thus more influential campaigns.<ref name=":6" />